Why did DC mayor withhold info that Qatar paid $61K+ for a trip to Dubai for her & staff?

WASHINGTON (7News) — Who is paying for D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's trips around the world?

The 7News I-Team has been asking that question for months and has gotten different answers from the mayor's office.

Through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, the 7News I-Team has uncovered who paid for the mayor's trip to Dubai in 2023, and it ended up costing a foreign country $61,930 in travel expenses, but the District has no record of how the expenses broke down for the mayor or four staff members.

7News I-Team Investigative Reporter discovered the truth behind the trip to Dubai.

A letter from the Embassy of Qatar to the Executive Office of the Mayor says Qatar paid $61,930 for the entire trip and called it an in-kind donation.

D.C. has no record of a Donation Agreement between the District and Qatar for the trip --- which is required by D.C. Code.

D.C. has told 7News it also doesn't have any travel expense records filed by the mayor for trips to The Master's Golf Tournament, Las Vegas, Miami or Mar-a-Lago. All trips taken within the past three years.

ALSO READ | Is Mayor Muriel Bowser violating DC Code by accepting lavish trips? | I-Team

In December 2023, Mayor Bowser and four staff members, including her Chief of Staff, Lindsey Parker, took a trip to Doha, Qatar. The mayor attended the United Nations Climate Conference in Dubai. Only two travel expense records have been filed.

Parker appears to be doing what's required by the D.C. Code, but it's not cheap. She cost taxpayers $3,500 for a 3-night stay at the Atlantis-Palm hotel in Dubai.

A two-night stay at the Aloft Hotel in Dubai for $1,300 was also filed by Tomas Talamonte, D.C.'s Director of Intergovernmental Affairs.

Last year, Susana Castillo, the mayor's Director of Communications, gave 7News wrong information twice on who paid for the Dubai trip. She claimed that D.C.'s Chamber of Commerce paid for it. We learned that was false, and then she said the U.S. Conference of Mayors picked up the bill.

7News now knows that both statements were not true.

Parker also flew last May to Las Vegas to attend the International Council of Shopping Centers Convention, along with Bowser.

Parker flew first class and cost taxpayers $4,500. She stayed at the Wynn Hotel and Casino for three nights, costing taxpayers $1,500.

What about Mayor Bowser?

She has filed no travel expense records for her Vegas trip, saying it was paid by the Washington, D.C. Economic Partnership and two D.C. government departments.